Physical Allergy: phenomenon of craving; Once I start I can’t stop; can’t control predictably. I react differently than normal people. I develop an intense, overpowering craving that normal people don’t get. This is due to a physiological difference in me.
We believe, and so suggested a few years ago, that the action of alcohol on these chronic alcoholics is a manifestation of an allergy; that the phenomenon of craving is limited to this class and never occurs in the average temperate drinker. These allergic types can never safely use alcohol in any form at all…
Mental Obsession: “Power of the Effect”, Using/drinking changes how I feel, gives me a sense of ease and comfort, courage, excitement. I react different to these substances in the sense that give me a super-natural experience so powerful that it drives me into a mental obsession.
Men and women drink essentially because they like the effect produced by alcohol. The sensation is so elusive that, while they admit it is injurious, they cannot after a time differentiate the true from the false. To them, their alcoholic life seems the only normal one. They are restless, irritable and discontented, unless they can again experience the sense of ease and comfort which comes at once by taking a few drinks…
Mental Blank Spot: Our perception of reality is altered before we take the first drink (or hit) so that we can’t see the consequences or can’t bring them to mind with sufficient force to stop from doing what we know will hurt us; loss of power, choice, control.
We are unable, at certain times, to bring into our consciousness with sufficient force the memory of the suffering and humiliation of even a week or a month ago. We are without defense against the first drink.
The almost certain consequences that follow taking even a glass of beer do not crowd into the mind to deter us.
Note:This includes the times when we know what will happen (and that it’s not worth it)but are so obsessed with that hit that we take it anyway.
